Facilities Updates: African Heritage Cultural Arts Center Joseph Caleb Auditorium Miami-Dade County Auditorium South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center

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1 Date: November 18, 2015 To: Members, Cultural Affairs Council From: Subject: Michael Spring, Director Facilities Updates: African Heritage Cultural Arts Center Joseph Caleb Auditorium Miami-Dade County Auditorium South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center As a result of Mayor Gimenez re-organization of County government and beginning in 2012, the Department of Cultural Affairs has been responsible for managing the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, Joseph Caleb Auditorium, and Miami-Dade County Auditorium. The Department managed the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center through design and construction and has programmed and operated the Center since its opening in The management and operation of these cultural facilities supports the overall mission of the Department, specifically to: 1) Strengthen and advance the work of our local non-profit cultural organizations and artists; and 2) Increase audience participation in the arts. Assessment of the Facilities Capital Needs Since taking on the responsibility of managing the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, Joseph Caleb Auditorium, and Miami-Dade County Auditorium, the Department has focused on assessing the capital needs of each facility and launching new mission-driven programming initiatives. These three facilities need significant work to repair and/or replace basic functional building systems, upgrade theater and sound and communications equipment, and modernize its architecture, including building signage, facades and audience and performer accommodations. To this end, the Department worked with the Internal Services Department to implement a competitive process to select a team of architects, engineers (A/E) and specialty consultants to conduct a comprehensive assessment of these items and to prioritize and cost the recommendations to improve each facility. While this work is expected to take some time to accomplish, modest upgrades and routine maintenance are being performed with the goal of improving the staff, user, and patron experience. The competitive selection process concluded in the hiring of Rodriguez and Quiroga Architects Chartered, who have now completed their findings for the first phase of the work including the assessment of each facility and an order of magnitude cost estimate for the improvements. The Department has provided comments and has prioritized the list of work. Life safety issues and major building systems such as HVAC, roofing, and electrical systems are being prioritized. The scope of work is being further refined to align with current facility needs, budget limitations, and potential grant opportunities. The A/E team submitted the schematic design documents at the end of September. The Department has reviewed the proposed improvements with members from each of the facilities and submitted our collective comments to the architectural team. It should be noted that each facility has Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond (BBC-GOB) funds available to begin this work, but costs for the planned improvements exceed the BBC-GOB funds currently allocated. Improvements will be phased while additional funding is sought. The Department has been awarded a $500,000 grant for the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center for the FY grant cycle of the

2 State Cultural Facilities Grant Program, and has submitted an application for Miami-Dade County Auditorium for the FY grant cycle. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center: $1.0 million + $500,000 State Cultural Facilities Grant Joseph Caleb Auditorium: $1.4 million (balance remaining) Miami-Dade County Auditorium: $4.0 million African Heritage Cultural Arts Center The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center (AHCAC) complex includes a black box theater, a music building with a concert hall, piano lab and several practice rooms, a dance studio that is accessible to individuals with disabilities, an art gallery, several studio spaces, a print shop and classrooms. It has a distinguished history of providing instruction in the arts in all artistic disciplines to youth through after school, school break academies and summer school programs. Its work continues to develop the next generation of artists and arts supporters. In addition, the Center serves as an incubator for supporting and developing the work of African-American arts groups and artists through its black-box theater, rehearsal spaces and art gallery. The Center also serves as a welcoming place to the surrounding community, hosting evening classes and civic meetings. The following is a summary of activity at the AHCAC: FY to-date October Total number of students registered: Number of arts production rentals: Number of community rentals: Number of arts groups using the Center: Number of civic meetings: Number of tours and outreach: 6 6 Program highlights for October included: The After School Arts Program continues to engage students ages 5 through 16 in its After School Arts Program and its Saturday Arts Workshop. These multi-arts educational programs provide essential theory and practical experiences in the various art disciplines including: dance, drama, instrumental and vocal music, fashion arts and visual arts. The AHCAC apprenticeship programs are auditioning applicants for their respective companies, which provide advanced instruction as well as performance and exhibition experiences via inhouse productions and tours. The apprenticeship programs are offered to youth in the After School Arts Program and to other youth that are interested in specialized instruction in areas such as drama, dance, visual arts, chorus, instrumental music and piano. The Center is also receiving and reviewing applications for both its artistic and civic residency programs. The civic and artistic groups will be engaging students in the various programs offered at the Center. Sankofa: Celebrating 40 Years of Service The Center has been successfully celebrating 40 years of service with the following events from the Sankofa series: The Center continued to celebrate its 40th Anniversary with two theatrical productions: o Hustle, a play written and directed by Keith Wade, is set on a basketball court and explores the lives of black men dealing with daily life issues. Over the four days of production, over 150 patrons enjoyed the show. The play was reviewed by the Miami Herald and the Miami Times. 2

3 o Zooman and the Sign, directed by John Pryor, is an Obie Award-winning play that tells the story of a teen murderer in Philadelphia who senselessly terrorizes his community without regard to race. Funding for this production was provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of a Knight Arts Challenge grant. On November 14 th, the Center hosted the 40th Anniversary Sankofa Gala at the Wendall A. Narcisse Performing Arts Theater. The speaker was one of the Center s most renowned alumni, Tarell Alvin McCraney. The gala s theme was Celebrating 40 years of Community Empowerment through the Arts. Maintenance Issues Upgrades to the roofing and HVAC systems throughout the Center are being prioritized in the scope of work currently under design. Temporary repairs are being performed as needed until new systems are installed. Repairs to the roof area over the offices and overhang around the courtyard are currently being performed. For more information on the Center s events and offerings, please visit the Center s website at Joseph Caleb Auditorium The Joseph Caleb Auditorium is a 962-seat theater that has been the gathering place in the Liberty City community for the performing arts for more than 36 years. The Auditorium has featured concerts, community forums, movie screenings and productions by community arts organizations throughout the year. The parking lot serving the Auditorium and the adjoining Caleb Center office complex is closed for construction of a new parking garage. The public art funds generated by the parking garage project will be used to have an artist design a prominent and attractive connection between the new garage and the Auditorium. With the loss of parking resulting from the ongoing construction of the parking garage for the Caleb Center, the Department has launched a plan that converts the Caleb Auditorium into a venue for school field trip performances. This has the benefits of: 1) providing more students with opportunities to experience the arts; 2) offering opportunities for local arts organizations to develop and present programs designed for children; and 3) introducing arts organizations and artists to the Caleb Auditorium so that when the parking situation is resolved, they can use the theater for evening performances. Ultimately, the goal for the Joseph Caleb Auditorium is to continue the field trip program and also to program the theater proactively with prominent arts groups and artists to re-establish its reputation for artistic excellence, diversity and community outreach. Awards The Joseph Caleb Auditorium received the 2015 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) for its program titled Caleb Cultural Passport Program. The award received was for Best of Category in Arts and Historic Preservation, which honors innovative programs that enhance services for the residents. Joseph Caleb Auditorium attendance for fiscal year , to date, is 5,922. Performances for the month of October: October 9, Spot The Dog presented by Kids Entertainment Theatre Terra October 16, Combinado Argentina De Danza presented by Miami Dade College Live Arts October 20, Madeline presented by Arts Power Touring Company October 26, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil Frank Wailer presented by Arts Power Touring 3

4 Upcoming Shows for November: November 16, Alexander is Not, Not, Not going to Move presented by Arts Power Touring Co. November 30, Fantasy Theatre Factory Miami-Dade County Auditorium Miami-Dade County Auditorium (MDCA) offers three dynamic presentation styles: 1. A 2,372-seat theatre that can host major dance, theatre and music performances; 2. A Mid-Stage theatre which can accommodate up to 450 patrons is well-suited for small concerts, dance and theatre presentations, giving mid-sized organizations an ideal setting to showcase their work; and 3. A 250-seat On.Stage Black Box theatre in which both the audience and performers share the stage of the Auditorium which is adapted into an innovative studio theatre for more intimate and often, cutting edge shows. Since the theatre opened its doors in 1951, it has served as the center for showcasing the diversity of our cultural life and most recently, as a hub for celebrating the Hispanic arts community. The Department has launched a program to establish co-presenting partnerships with non-profit cultural organizations that can present performances on the main stage, mid-stage and in the black box configuration and begin to establish an artistic reputation for the theatre which will encourage more use and presentations of higher artistic quality. Partner organizations include Fundarte, the Rhythm Foundation, Tigertail, the Performing Arts Series presented by Miami Dade College and Teatro Avante. This program also has the benefit of helping to develop Hispanic audiences for some of our community s premiere cultural organizations. In addition, the Auditorium has restructured its staff and policies in order to attract more uses of the facility. The following is a summary of activity at MDCA: FY October Number of Events: Attendance: 7,685 7,685 Program highlights and rentals for October included: MDCA and Fundarte presented the First International Festival of the Arts for Youths and Children. The Festival consisted of performances by Latin Grammy Nominee Rita Rosa, Spanish singer Jordi Tonietti and a stage version of El Patico Feo (The Ugly Duckling) by Teatro las Estaciones. The Festival was an all-day event with food trucks, chalk painting and other children s activities. The festival also included a school performance during the week. Ballet Folklorico de Antioquia, a group of 27 dancers and 12 musicians, performed typical Colombian dances. MDCA and Florida Chamber Orchestra presented Herencia Cubana, a musical journey through all the provinces of Cuba. Singers Malena Burke and Gema Corredera performed alongside a 35-piece orchestra and a 20-member choir. MDCA and NuFlamenco presented Avalon, an original piece created for flamenco guitar and orchestra. MDCA and WDNA presented the second annual NEA Jazz Masters Series. Under the musical direction of Brian Lynch, this year s event included performances by Candido Camero and Donald Harrison. MDCA continues to work with Matrix2 on the development of marketing campaigns for selected events. 4

5 Work on the website has been completed and the site is now live: South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center The South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (SMDCAC) is a multidisciplinary arts center designed by Arquitectonica International, Inc. to showcase the performing arts. The Center s 961-seat state-of-the-art Theater Building includes a fly tower, orchestra pit, front of house spaces (box office, lobby, restrooms, concessions, etc.), back of house support spaces (dressing rooms, storage and work areas, administrative offices, etc.) and a multi-purpose rehearsal space. The separate Activities Building houses an informal performance space, and smaller multi-purpose spaces for lectures, classes, or community gatherings. The Center s two buildings are joined by an outdoor promenade leading to a gently-sloping lawn for outdoor concerts and festivals along the Black Creek Canal. Through Miami-Dade County s Art in Public Places Program, the Center has major public art works created by Miami artist Robert Chambers. An innovative light piece illuminates the translucent inner lobby wall with changing light designs created by computer-programmed LED fixtures. In addition, the lobby features two marble sculptures also created by Robert Chambers. The following is a summary of activity at SMDCAC: FY to date October 2015 SMDCAC Presents: Number of rentals: 3 3 Attendance: 6,146 6,146 Events presented by the Center for the month of October included: Backyard Bash Season Kickoff featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Hot 8 Brass Band, Aaron Lebos Reality and DJ Le Spam (October 10) Indie Flicks: Movement and Location (October 16) Igor Butman and Moscow Jazz Orchestra with special guest Fantine (October 16) Sofia Rei (October 17) Flamenco workshop for home-schooled children (October 17) Theater Etiquette with New Theatre for Herbert Ammons Middle School (October 22) Anais Mitchell (October 23) Big Friendly Giant with FREE face painting and costume parade (October 24) Mirada Flamenca performed by Siempre Flamenco (October 24 & 25) Concert Band and Soldiers Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band (FREE) (October 29) The Twelfth Night performed with shadow interpretation by Asolo Repertory Theatre school shows and public show (October 29-30) SMDCAC Dance Classes: o Beginning Ballet ages 5 to 9 years Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:00 PM (September 15-December 10) o Intermediate Ballet Ages 10 to 14 years Thursdays at 5:00 PM and Saturdays at 12:30 PM (September 17-December 12) o Jazz/Contemporary Dance ages 8 to 14 years Tuesdays at 5:00 PM and Saturdays at 1:30 PM (September 15-December 12) Pridelines Meeting every Tuesday 5

6 Rentals for the month of October included: St. Brendan Hispanic Night (October 21) Alpha Kappa Yoga Class (October 21) United Healthcare FSRBC meeting (October 26) November highlights include: La Traviata performed by Miami Lyric Opera (November 6 and 7) Just The Funny (November 6) Quincy Jones Presents Alfredo Rodriguez (November 7) Handel s Coronation Anthems performed by Seraphic Fire (November 8) Grace Weber (November 13) Jessica Lang Dance (November 14) The Comedy Zone featuring Philadelphia Plowden (November 14) Solid Soul featuring Mavis Staples and Joan Osborne (November 21) Ballet For Young People featuring Miami City Ballet School Ensemble (November 21) Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay recently became a three-year sponsor of the Center s Family Series. The Center staffed a marketing booth at the annual Track or Treat Halloween event in Pinecrest on October 31. WDNA 88.9 Jazz featured interviews with artists Igor Butman, Sofia Rei and Alfredo Rodriguez. For the season that began on October 1, 2015, the Center s volunteer program has saved the County $5,265. For a complete listing of upcoming shows and events, please visit the Center s website, 6

7 African Heritage Cultural Arts Center The Great Pizza Contest Miami Herald ar cle

8 African Heritage Cultural Arts Center

9 African Heritage Cultural Arts Center The Great Pizza Contest

10 Caleb Auditorium Spot The Dog (October 9) Combinado Argen no De Danza (October 16) Madeline (October 20) The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil Frank Wailer (October 26

11 Miami Dade County Auditorium First Interna onal Fes val of the Arts for Youths and Children (October 2nd and 3rd) Ballet Folklorico de An oquia (October 10)

12 Miami Dade County Auditorium Noches Tropicales launched their season with a gala event (October 16) The great Candido Camero performing at MDCA (October 31)

13 South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center Family Series Postcard Theater E que e Class for Herbert Ammons Middle School (October 22)

14 South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center Big Friendly Giant (October 24)

15 South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center Big Friendly Giant (October 24)